


Demon in the Bottle

by moon_hedgehog



Category: The Glass Scientists (Webcomic)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Love Triangles, Love/Hate, M/M, Selfcest???, that's probably how you shouldn't write love triangles, to hell with rating I'm stumped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 17:01:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13505898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_hedgehog/pseuds/moon_hedgehog
Summary: our love exists,behind closed doors,behind four wallsthat push up against my lungssqueezing until I suffocate. (c)x





	1. - Henry

**Author's Note:**

> the strangest angst i've ever written [1/2].  
> _  
> yes, my angst style is a tons of symbolism and zero actual plot.  
> _  
> it was a night in train on my way home, I wrote a first chapter bc I caught strange idea, it wasn't supposed to be Lanyon/Hyde, I don't know what is this.

Edward doesn’t know this; but Henry worships him.

He worships his creation: preposterous and ungainly, scruffy, childishly stubborn and godlessly irresponsible. He watches Edward’s taking his first steps – lubberly and funny, trying to understand the world around him and his place in it. He finds someone nearby – sweet Rachel, then wary Robert, then brave Lucy. But when he turns around there’s only a mirror behind, in this mirror the creator; and Edward begins to hate him.

But Henry worships: a mop of wheaten hair, large emerald eyes, soft lips, and shoulders, and nipples, and navel. He looks in the mirror and sees perfection, a tiny copy of an angel. When he touches Edward for the first time, he seems too soft and fragile; like a Venetian crystal vase, like a creature from the ancient medieval scrolls. Henry’s knees buckle and he sinks down on them; in Edward’s eyes a flame of abhorrence.

He still worships him: a scientific breakthrough, an intoxicating potion, a night spirit, a messenger of wind and death. He studies him as an invaluable book, a parchment of old-world civilization. He asks him to get out of the Looking Glass, and when Edward obeys, he examines watercolor veins on his wrists. Edward’s hissing, but Henry notices neat white scars and crouches to them his lips, unable to hold back tears. He trembles and whimpers and kisses innumerable traceries on his hands; Edward chokes with his hatred, biting his lip so as not to scream.

Henry feels the devastation, but continues to worship: mild Edward’s moans, his sincere tears, the bends of his body and wet kisses. Sometimes Henry is ill and he pleads “I need you so much, stay”; and Edward always stays, always silently lies under him, always noiselessly screams and curves, clinging to the bedsheets. Henry has created a God who is a part of himself. He forgets the taste of wine because calls alcohol another name now; he forgets Robert Lanyon because the ethereal dreams have become reality; he forgets himself, but remembers

that he must continue to worship.

Henry doesn’t know this; but Edward hates him.


	2. - Edward

no need to survive now  
all we do is play, all I hear is  
music like Lay Lady Lay

[religion](https://genius.com/Lana-del-rey-religion-lyrics)

 

One day, Edward notices the smile of Robert Lanyon; because this smile is addressed to him. He stretches out his hand, forgetting about his caution, and touches the sun-kissed face. Robert laughs and lets Edward give as many touches as he wants. Only when he timidly leans forward, Edward bounces off with a primitive fear splashing in his eyes. His lips are trembling and his heartbeat is accelerating. Robert really gets _scared_ , because he has never seen the angels cry.

One day, Robert learns the secret of his best friend. Then another one. He’s trying to find Henry a thousand excuses; but in his hands shakes a night spirit, and deep inside Robert realizes that all of this must be stopped once and for all. It isn’t Henry – he repeats when kisses Edward; it isn’t Henry – he says when Edward moans too loudly and obscenely, leaning forward; it isn’t Henry – he knows when he sees a happy smile on Edward’s face and hears his crystal laugh at the morning. Yes, it isn’t Henry – but Henry is the one that needed to get rid of.

One day, Henry slaps Edward in the face; he blurs in the air like a ragged fog, hardly feeling anything. Nevertheless, he freezes as a frightened deer, not daring to take his eyes off of Henry. Henry had a hard day today, Henry had stuck in too many failures; which means Henry can hurt. But in Henry’s eyes pure horror, the same as that of his God – crashing to his knees, he _begs_ for forgiveness. Edward backs away, Edward doesn’t want to hear all of this, Edward wants to go home, in the arms of Robert Lanyon. Edward belatedly remembers that he shall not think about this, but

Henry doesn’t get angry, doesn’t yell and doesn’t touch.

Henry cuddles into a ball and sobs. And Edward cannot leave him; and Edward sits down beside and gently strokes his hair, giving tender kisses to his nape.

 

And one more day, Robert asks Edward to suppress Henry – without any regret, hit while he is buried in tearing claws of problems.

But Henry has black circles under his eyes, his dry lips are trembling and his hair is untidy. Edward Hyde curses _the whole damn world_ , but rocks the creator on his hands, but offers himself, but heals his wounds and

bores his own.


	3. - Robert

Robert can’t exactly remember when he has noticed this look: in Henry’s eyes is splashing rot, so thick and dark, swamp sucking in. Henry looks at him with disgust, Henry twists the corners of his mouth as if he is going to vomit, Henry tightly clasps his fingers and, it seems, mentally counts to fifty*. Always to fifty, 'cause this is like a new game – one of the many in which they play. They go to the receptions, shake hands with sponsors, exchange amiable phrases; but only in the evening Robert will laugh with _Edward Hyde_ , burying his fingers in his hair; and Henry would be cursed and forgotten.

On the nights when Edward doesn’t come, Robert is shaking from bitterness and anger. The night spirits are created from ether and salt, and their screams are only a slight whisper in the wind; Robert _can’t understand_ how and why his spirit suffers all this pain. He begs Edward so stubbornly and desperately – and Edward says he loves-loves-loves him till the flaming sparks in his chest. Robert believes him, and also Robert knows that Edward will never leave this _rotting monster_.

Once he finds this monster absolutely drunk, hiding in his laboratory and biting his wrists. The name Henry feels like a revolting bile on Robert’s tongue; he can’t call this the one who once was his friend. Now it’s just a miserable piece of shattered glass, a broken mechanism, a fish* choking on rot. He notices Robert and smiles at him drily, and then, with a tied tongue, he’s telling how far he has fallen. Robert Lanyon can leave at any time; but Henry Jekyll speaks about Edward Hyde’s white neck, and gentle lips, and beautiful eyes; and Robert catches himself at the thought that he wants to strangle the monster right here and right now. But, unfortunately, can’t.

Robert can’t believe that once he had hoped that his story would find its happy ending. Henry creates a potion that manages to divide them with Edward, and releases his creation forever; Robert, for the first time, is ready to applaud him for this magnanimity. But only the next day someone is firing in Henry from a stupid gun because someone has caught a nonsense that he is a mad scientist, dreaming of destroying London.

Henry’s getting shot, shot, shot

but

It’s Edward who catches the bullet.

 

Robert thinks that he does not have a strength to maintain the Society for Arcane Sciences;

Robert does not come to the Jekyll’s funeral, whom he found with his wrists open;

Robert feels the world gray in appearance and bitter in taste;

And he probably will never accept the fact that he was told “love” from the heart, but

Edward died for another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * [x](http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu50.php)  
> * [xx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys)


End file.
